Pilot valve



M ay 23, 1944. J. coNvERsE PILOT VALVE Filed Aprirzfs, 1942 ATTORNEY 5 Patented May 23, 1944 I PILOT VALVE Julius Converse, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor toy yThe Bryant Heater Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 25, 1942, Serial No. 440,518'

4 Claims. (Cl. 277-21) This invention relates toimprovements in pilot valves, particularly thermally operated valves for controlling gas burners. The valve of the present invention is a three-way valve intended primarily for connecting the pressure chamber of a main diaphragm valve with the gas supply line or with a bleed -line alternately for the purpose of closing or opening the main valve.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved three-way valve wherein the load imposed upon the thermal member is substantially relieved as soon as the shift from one valve position to the other is effected.

Another object is the provision of a valve such` that the overthrow after the shift is effected imposes substantially no load upon the thermal member. I

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of thatembodiment of the invention which, for the pur--` `poses of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a general elevational view, partly diagrammatic in character, showing my improved valve embodied in a burner control;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectie-nal view on a lai-ger scale of the valve per se; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5 o'f Fig. 2.

In the drawing, I3 represents a diaphragm snap valve of conventional form interposed in a gas line II, I2 leading to a main burner to be,

controlled, not illustrated herein. The pressure chamber or control chamber I3 of the diaphragm valve is connected by a tube indicated at I4 with a chamber I5 in a valve body I6 which may be a block of metal cut from a bar. A tubular conductor Il connects with pipe I I in advance of the diaphragm valve and extends to a threaded socket I8in block I6. .,Q..

A bracket I9 attached to the lower side of block I6 has a depending portion 20 inwhich is mounted one end o'f a pilot tube 2I which is also connected by a tube 22 with the pipe II -in ad# vance of the main diaphragmvalve. In this tube 22 there is a valve indicated at 23 which may be any means of controlling the flow of gas under line pressure to the pilot, whether it be manual or automatic. Bracket I9 preferably has sides 8 and wings 9, the latter for attachment to a suitable support such as the casing wall of a furnace or boiler.

The opposite end of tube 2| is provided with a 90 bend which is mounted in or connected to a' f wafrdff valve closing position Seat #lis adapted to be closed bya ball 50 which `isf-biased toward closing'position by a coilspring spring 49. 4 IPI'ence stamping 24. While this tube might be continued upwardly to constitute the pilot, I preferito form"r the latter as a sheet metal tube y25, the lower end of which is telescoped ontothe tube 2|.

ing 24. parts and insert a cotter pin 26 through the holes.

A tubular brace 21 i5 interposed betweenthe l block' I6 and the stamping 24, being threaded at its ends for engagement with those parts. Thus v brace 2l also serves as a lgas conductor f ortconveying gas from the valve block I6 to a bleed 28 which extends parallell to the pilot 25. Pilot and bleed 28 are close enough together and close enough to the main burner to permit pilot 25 to be ignited from bleed 28, in cases where electrical ignition is not available, and to permit bleed 28 to be ignited from the main burner, in which case bleed 28 serves as an auxiliarypilot. Brace 2l further functions as a guard and guide for an operating rod 29. One leg of a horseshoe thermal member 33 is attached to stamping 24 at 3|. The other legyxwhich is free to swing in response to pilot flames emerging from ports 32, is adapted to engage'one end of rod ably threaded on the rod. thermal memberv pushes rod 29 to'thl viewed in Fig. 1.

34 is an igniter coil arranged i ignite gas emitted from a pilot 25.

left as on to Current is carried to coil 34 by conductors 35 and 36 one of .which is grounded to f stamping 24 from which`cur Ahorseshoe 3, through a?, T W welded to the free leg o'f` the t vpasses through horseshoe and through a spring linger 38 normally contacting nger 3l, finger insulation 39 which is attached to the stamping. Another conductor 40 is connected with linger 38 by means of a bolt 4I or the like;

In the valve block I6 there are two aligned bores 42 and 43, one extending from .the top and the other from the bottom surface,offthe'fblock. The bore 42 is closed by a threaded, the bore 43 by the bracket I9. Between the two bores 42 and 43 there is a short passage 45 which terminates at its upper end in a valve seat 46 andv Seat 46 is which is biased to?I4 by a coil springilll.

at its lower end in a valve seat 41. adapted lto receive a ball 48 5I. Spring 5I is` stronger than Y normally it forces ball 50 against itsseat'f The parts are so designed thatwhen this occ In order to secure these parts together and tothe stamp# I drill registering holes through these 29 or a nut 33 adjust- The expansion of the port nea'rftheend of` ymetal; nger- 31 3i!v being mounted in a block of ball 58 engages ball 48 and raises it of! its seat 46. When rod 23 moves to the left under the influence yof the expanding horseshoe, it engages the ball 58 and moves the ball toward the left, as viewed in thedrawing, which disengages it from its seat 41 and tilts it to the left and downward which moves it away from engagement with ball- 48 and permits the latter ball to descend onto its seat 46 under the influence of gravity and its spring 49. With the valve in the position illustrated, spring 43 might be'omitted, gravity alone being depended upon to seat the ball, but I preier to include the spring in all cases.

Bore 42 is connected with socket I8 by an inclined passage 53, whereby bore 42 is in communication at all times with tubular conductor I1. Extending laterally from the short passage 45, between bores 42 and 43, a passage 54 extends to the bottom of a bore 55 which is coaxial 'with a threaded bore 56 which runs out at the top of the block. Passage 54 is therefore in communication at all times with tubular conductor I4 extending to the control chamber I3 of the main valve. I provide a by-pass bet .een passage 54 and bore 43, this by-pass consisting of two drilled passages 51 and 58. This by-pass may be closed if desired by means of a needle valve 59 on the lower end of a screw plug 68 which is threaded into bore 56.

Bore 43 is connected with the interior of tubular member 21 by a drilled passage 6I which is slightly larger than rod 29 so as to permit the flow of gas from bore 43 into the interior of the tubular Vmember,

Operation: If it be assumed that all of the parts are in the positions illustrated and that there is a call for heat, then the valve 23 is opened and the circuit for igniter coil 34 is closed. These two operations may be either manual or automatic. Gas emerging from a pilot port opposite coil 34 is ignited as soon as that coil reaches the necessary temperature, whereupon flame travels down to ports 32 through the intermediacy of other ports, not shown, extending longitudinally of the pilot. The llames from ports 32 heat the inner radius of horseshoe 30 which expands and swings `its free leg to the left. When this occurs, the circuit to the igniter coil is opened between the ngers 31 and 38 and the rod 29 is pushed toward the left. Ball 50 is thereby swung away from its seat and out of engagement with ball 48 which is then free to descend and seat itself. Thereupon the gas in chamber I3 may flow out of that chamber through tube I4, chamber I of the valve block, bores 56 and 55, passages 54 and 45, past uncovered valve seat 41, through passage 6I and out by way of tubular member 21 and bleed member 28. The pressure above the diaphragm of the lmain valve is thereby relieved and the valve is free to respond to line pressure beneath the diaphragm. Gas then flows through the open main valve to the burner and is ignited by the flame from the pilot. The unseating of valve 50 may occur fairly early in the swing of vthe horseshoe thermal member, and such overthrow of the rod 29 as may occur imposes practically no load upon the thermal member. The tilting of the ball on the far edge of its seat constitutes the chief load which the rod 29 encounters. The power required to move the ball` further is' negligible.

Thel main burner and When the heat requirement is satisfied, valve 23 is closed either manually or automatically, cuting off the ilow of gas to the pilot. The horseshoe leaving the rod 29 free to move to the right also the pilot burner con-' tinue. to operate so long as there is a call for heat.V

under the influence of spring, 5I acting against ball 50. The latter ball therefore engages its seat 41 and simultaneously raises ball 48 oil? its seat 46. The connection between the control chamber I3 and the bleed is thereby cut off. At the same time the control chamber I3 is put into communication with the gas supply line through tubular conductor I1, socket I8, inclined passage 53,

' bore 42, past the uncovered valve seat 46, into short passage 45 and then through passages 54, 55, and 56 to valve chamber I5 and thence through tubular conductor I4 to the control chamber I3. In this waychamber I3 is exposed to line pressure and the diaphragm of main valve III is forced to closing position, cutting oil.r flow to the main burner.

In the event that electric ignition is not used, it is desirable to provide a by-pass for gas around the valve seat 41. 'I'his may be accomplished by threadng'the screw 60 upwardly to lift the needle valve 59 off its seat when gas fed to bore 42 may pass open valve seat 46 through passages 45, 54, 51 and 58 into bore 43 and thence out through passage 6I and the interior of tubular member 21 to bleed 28. For the on, cycle pilot 25 will be ignited from bleed 28. On the oil cycle pilot 25 goes out, resulting in the seating of ball and the unseating of ball 48. Now if the needle valve 59 is oi its seat gas will ow through the by-pass and out to the bleed 28 at the same time that it is flowing into the control chamber I3 of the main valve. Gas flowing from the bleed will therefore be ignited by the flame from the main burner before the latter is extinguished by the closing of valve Il).` The bleed will therefore serve as an auxiliary pilot during the periods in which the main pilot 25 is out.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, means for selectively connecting a pressure chamber with a gas line or with a bleed line, comprising a pair of valve seats associated with said gas line 30 then cools and its free leg swings to the right,

and bleed line, a uid connection between said valve seats, a conductor from said connection to said pressure chamber, two ball valves each biased toward one of said valve seats, the rst ball more strongly than the second. the iirst ball, when seated, engaging the second ball and holding the latter oi its seat, and actuating means projecting through said bleed line for unseating the rst ball and moving. it laterally away from engagement with the second ball for enablingthe latter to seat itself.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of opposed valve seats, two ball valves each biased toward one of said valve seats, the rst ball more strongly than the second, the rst ball, when seated, engaging the second ball and holdingthe latter off its seat, and a reciprocable rod arranged'to exert a push against the rst ball in a direction parallel to its seat for unseating that ballA and moving it away from engagement with the second ball, thereby enabling the second ball to seat itself.

3. In apparatus of. the character described, means for selectively connecting a pressure chamber with a gas line or with a bleed line, comprising a pair of valve seats, a fluid connection therebetween, a conductor from said fluid connection to said pressure chamber, two ball valves each ball for enabling thelatter to seat itself, said valve than the second, the rst bali when seated enhaving a by-pass connecting said fluid connection gaging the second ball and holding the latter off with the remote side of the seat for said rst ball, its seat, and a reciprocable rod arranged to exert and a valve for controlling said by-pass. a push against the ilrst ball in a direction parallel 4. In apparatus of the character described, a 5 to its seat for unseating that ball and moving it pair of opposed valve seats, a iluid connection away from engagement with the second ball, therebetween, two ball valves each biased toward thereby enabling the second ball to seat itself. one of said valve seats, the rst ball more strongly JULIUS CONVERSE 

